Deborah lives in affordable housing in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in a high rise with her 7 year old daughter. She was receiving a rent subsidy but, as she has recently taken on more hours at work, her subsidies have decreased dramatically, so that she now receives almost none. She feels fortunate to have a job that she enjoys and acquired based on her “life experience” rather than work experience. She works hard to budget for upcoming expenses. She now considers her life to be more stable, although she still struggles to make ends meet.

We support raising the thresholds of low-income benefits. Currently, many low-income benefits begin to be reduced at income thresholds that are far too low. This means that an increase in earnings can result in little improvement to a family’s living situation or may even leave a household further behind.

“I pay about $1100 a month, and it’s ‘affordable housing’. I was eligible for a rent subsidy, but it’s dwindled away. I’ve thought about going down on my hours [at work], just because of the decrease in my assistance.”

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